William Windom (actor)

William Windom (September 28, 1923 – August 16, 2012) was an American actor.

He was known as a character actor of the stage and screen.

He is well known for his recurring role as Dr. Seth Hazlitt alongside Angela Lansbury in the CBS mystery series Murder, She Wrote.

Windom made his television debut in 1949 in the NBC anthology series The Philco Television Playhouse.

He continued acting in shows such as Studio One, Masterpiece Playhouse, Omnibus, and Kraft Television Theatre.

During this time, he also appeared on The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek.

Windom became a paratrooper with Company B, 1st Battalion 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

While stationed in Frankfurt during the Allied occupation of Germany, he enrolled in Biarritz American University in France and became involved in theater.

His screen career began in the 1950s.

Windom appeared in various TV series, including Omnibus and Robert Montgomery Presents.

He continued guest-starring in series during the 1960s including playing The Major in "Five Characters in Search of an Exit", a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone; Windom considered this guest appearance as his West Coast television debut.

He later reported that Richard Widmark was originally offered the role, but when Widmark learned that the pay was only to be $1,000, he turned it down.

Actress Susan Harrison, who played the Ballerina, got first billing, while Windom got second.

Windom is also known for his film roles in the Academy Award-winning movie To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The Americanization of Emily (1964), The Detective (1968), Brewster McCloud (1970), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), She's Having a Baby (1988), Uncle Buck (1989), Miracle on 34th Street (1994), and True Crime (1999).

Windom was born in Manhattan in New York City, the son of Paul Windom, an architect, and Isobel Wells (née Peckham).

He was a descendant of the United States Secretary of the Treasury of the same name.

He attended Williams College and enlisted in the U.S. Army.

He participated in the Army Specialized Training Program, studying at The Citadel, Antioch College, and the University of Kentucky.

Windom's first role in film was alongside Gregory Peck in the Oscar-winning movie To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); he played Horace Gilmer, the prosecutor of Tom Robinson (Brock Peters).

He appeared on The Donna Reed Show, Gunsmoke, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible (four episodes), and Ironside.

His first leading role came in the sitcom The Farmer's Daughter (1963–1966), a series based on the 1947 film about a young Minnesota woman (played by Inger Stevens) who became the housekeeper for a widowed congressman (Windom).

It ran for three seasons.

In Star Trek, he played Commodore Matt Decker, commander of the doomed USS Constellation, in the 1967 episode "The Doomsday Machine", a role he reprised nearly 40 years later for Star Trek: New Voyages.

He played a recurring role (three episodes) in "The Invaders" in 1967.

In 1968, Windom guest-starred on Ironside in the episode "Trip to Hashbury."

Also in 1968, Windom starred alongside Peter Falk and Gene Barry in the TV movie Prescription: Murder, the pilot for the TV series Columbo.

Windom starred with Frank Sinatra in the film The Detective (1968), playing a homophobic killer, a role appreciated in The New York Times. The following year, he had the lead role as cartoonist John Monroe in the sitcom My World and Welcome to It.

He then gained acclaim in his television career for his portrayal of cartoonist John Monroe in the short-lived NBC sitcom My World and Welcome to It (1969–1970), winning him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Although the series only aired for one season, he won the 1970 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

In 1971 he played a supporting role alongside Jimmy Stewart, George Kennedy, and Kurt Russell in the Columbia production Fools' Parade.

In 1971, Windom guest-starred as a victim of blackmail on Cannon in the episode "Death Chain".

He starred in another episode of the series titled "Short Fuse" in 1972.

In 1975, he guest-starred as George Kane, a desperate drug dealer, in the series finale of Mannix in the episode "Hardball".

In 1980, he appeared as Amos Krebbs, the alleged father of Ray Krebbs, on the hit primetime television drama Dallas on the episode "The Fourth Son".

Windom toured the country in a one-man James Thurber show.

Afterward, he filmed the pilot for a new series Is There a Doctor in the House? with Rosemary Forsyth that was not picked up by a network.

Windom joined Murder, She Wrote in October 1985 as Dr. Seth Hazlitt.

He then guest-starred in various programs, including Columbo, Night Gallery, Marcus Welby M.D., and Quincy M.E. before gaining acclaim for his recurring role on the CBS mystery series Murder, She Wrote (1986-1996), portraying Dr. Seth Hazlitt of Cabot Cove opposite Angela Lansbury.

During this time, he also appeared on other programs, including St. Elsewhere, Magnum, P.I., Newhart, L.A. Law, and Murphy Brown, and voiced Uncle Chuck in Sonic the Hedgehog.

His final television appearances include roles in Ally McBeal and The District.